Instructions

ZOOM IN by clicking on the page. A slider will appear, allowing you to adjust your zoom level. Return to the original size by clicking on the page again.

MOVE the page around when zoomed in by dragging it.

ADJUST the zoom using the slider on the top right.

ZOOM OUT by clicking on the zoomed-in page.

SEARCH by entering text in the search field and click on "In This Issue" or "All Issues" to search the current issue or the archive of back issues
respectively.

PRINT by clicking on thumbnails to select pages, and then press the
print button.

SHARE this publication and page.

ROTATE PAGE allows you to turn pages 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.Click on the page to return to the original orientation. To zoom in on a rotated page, return the page to its original orientation, zoom in, and
then rotate it again.

CONTENTS displays a table of sections with thumbnails and descriptions.

ALL PAGES displays thumbnails of every page in the issue. Click on
a page to jump.

Credit:FairfaxSyndication/PeterRae;Newspix/RobertPozo
One of the NRMA’s greatest leaders in times of change has passed
Farewell to former
CEO George James
OPEN ROAD 55
THE NRMA HAS SAID GOODBYE to
one of its former chief executive officers,
George James, after he passed away on
February 28 at the age of 94.
Mr James (pictured above, left) took
over the reins of the top job at the NRMA
in 1979, but his esteemed history with the
company extends a lot further back than
that. His NRMA working life began as an
apprentice motor mechanic at the tiny
district depot at Caragabal, where he
converted an old Buick tourer into an
NRMA road service utility.
This first contact with the organisation
left a lasting impression, and 50 years
later Mr James said, “ there was
something about the philosophy of a
service organisation that appealed to me
and it created an inkling for me to want
to come back”.
Unfortunately, World War II interrupted
his NRMA career and he served in New
Guinea, Morotai and Borneo, before
returning to the organisation as an
engineer in the technical department, then
as a road service manager and assistant
district manager in Newcastle. His
supervisor at the time would later comment
on Mr James’ strength of having so much
‘grass roots’ experience in varied roles.
By the time he had worked his way up to
CEO, Mr James had also studied industrial
law in Sydney and business principles at
Harvard University. His term oversaw a
record expansion in NRMA membership
past 1.5 million Members in 1981 and close
to 2 million Members upon his retirement
on July 17, 1987. The previous year he had
also been made a Member of the Order of
Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours
for his contribution to road safety and
motor transport.
The NRMA will remain eternally grateful
for Mr James’ 37 years of service to the
organisation and would like to pass on our
condolences to his family.
His working life
began as an
NRMA apprentice
motor mechanic
NRMA Director Coral Taylor has
become the first woman inducted into
the Australian Motor Sport Hall of
Fame, along with her long-time
rallying partner, Neal Bates.
The Hall of Fame was launched last
year with an inaugural list of 30
inductees including three-time
Formula 1 World Champion, Sir Jack
Brabham, and five-time MotoGP
champion, Mick Doohan.
The 21-strong 2017 inductee list
included competitors
from almost every
facet of the sport,
as well as two
“special” awards
for legendary
engineer Ron
Tauranac and long-
time administrator,
John Large.
Jim Richards and Mark Skaife were
announced as “advance” inductees
back in December and they were
joined on the list by fellow motor
racing stalwarts Lex Davison, Frank
Gardner, Kevin Bartlett, Larry Perkins
and Vern Schuppan.
CORAL TAYLOR JOINS
HALL OF FAME
One of the NRMA’s longest-serving
patrolmen, 57-year-old Michael
Courtney, died recently from an
inter-cerebral bleed.
He worked at the NRMA for 28
years and was especially popular
with the NRMA Members he helped.
More than 400 people attended his
funeral. A procession along the
streets of Camden included 44
patrol vans and patrolmen who came
to pay their respects.
“Michael was extremely good at
his job and respected by all his
peers, but it is his kindness and
genuine desire to help people that
will be remembered most,” says
NRMA Group CEO Rohan Lund.
PASSING OF MUCH-
LOVED PATROL
NRMA patrolmen
pay their respects.
OR0517_YOUR NRMA_02.indd 55
12/04/2017 4:29 pm